1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the handling of hazardous wastes and other hazardous materials. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a new form of containment unit for handling, storing and transporting hazardous materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The handling, storage and transport of hazardous materials, and particularly hazardous waste has become a problem of major proportions. Increased emphasis is being placed on the importance of assuring that solvents, lubricants, paint related products, and the like are stored with adequate safeguards. Increasingly, it is being recognized that even small spills and relatively minor leakages of the growing number of substances that are being referred to by the term "hazardous material" can detrimentally affect persons, property, plants, animals, ground water and other aspects of ecology and the environment. Moreover, in view of increasing concern about the lasting nature of the adverse effects that can result from spills and unchecked leakage of hazardous materials, the issue of transportation and storage of hazardous materials is receiving increasing attention by law-makers, by regulatory agencies, and by those Who have been elected to govern and to enforce the laws and regulations relating to hazardous materials.
In the past, the standard form of container for the handling, storage and transportation of hazardous materials has been the 55 gallon steel drum. In transportation of hazardous materials using 55 gallon steel drums, the drums are easily ruptured if an accident occurs. A high impact against a gang of the drums in a truck accident, for example, can cause a sort of domino effect wherein sufficient impact is transferred to a great number of the drums to rupture the drums. This is due to the basic cylindrical shape of the drum as well as its relatively thin walled construction.
During transportation and storage of the drums another hazard which may occur when full drums are stacked which they frequently are because their shape clearly lends itself to stacking. In many instances the drums are stacked eight or nine tiers high. These drums often leak, with the leaking chemicals flowing down to mix with other chemicals below. In this situation, even if the individual chemicals are not in themselves particularly hazardous, an unknown and hazardous combination may result.
When using cylindrical drums there is another potential hazard in that the drums are inherently reusable, even if the drums are not intended for this purpose. Unwitting re-use with an incompatible chemical can cause an explosion or the creation of a dangerous, explosive, poisonous or otherwise hazardous combination. The inherent re-usability of cylindrical drums is a significant disadvantage. Cylindrical drums with explosive materials have been known to ignite and shoot through a building roof in the manner of a rocket. Explosive material can dry and harden from the outside in toward the center of the drum, leaving a hollow core which can act as a rocket nozzle. This is another inherent disadvantage in using cylindrical drums for the storage of explosive hazardous materials.
For these and other reasons, there remains a very genuine and real need for a well designed, heavy duty containment facility that appropriately will address today's increasing concern for the way in which hazardous materials are handled, transported and stored.